flooding: 1/25 of 33

After beavers' reintroduction to Scotland, landowners have accused the native rodents of damaging the environment, causing floods, and worse, writes Louise Ramsay. But the public have rallied to the cause of these charming, beneficial creatures, leaving conservative landowners isolated. Could the shift in sentiment trigger long overdue change in the Scottish countryside?more...

The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has worsened after floods and purposeful destruction has taken its toll in recent months, writes Vanessa Amaral-Rogers. The eight year blockade by Israel and conflict with Egypt has already hit Palestinian families hard but now Gaza is at even greater risk as Egypt diverts seawater into life-line tunnels.more...

Changes to natural drainage processes in headwaters, rivers, floodplains and river channels has increased the UK's vulnerability to heavy rainfall, write Neil Entwistle & George Heritage. And to put things right, we must first gather the detailed evidence of what took place in recent floods. The Environment Agency must publish all its data, maps and images - now!more...

Following this month's intense rainfall in the north of England an Environment Agency alert has highlighted the flood risk to the crumbling nuclear waste dump adjoining Sellafield in Cumbria, writes Marianne Birkby - a dump which remains in use despite its condemnation by the EA in 2005 due to its likely destruction by rising seas. Now it really is time to close the gate on Drigg!more...

The year 2014 is on track to be one of the hottest, if not the hottest, on record, according to preliminary estimates by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). Their latest report, issued today at the UN climate talks in Lima, shows exceptional heat and flooding in many parts of the world.more...

A failure to act to reduce the impacts of climate change could cost Europe almost €200 billion and 200,000 lives a year, writes Tim Radford. These 'conservative estimates' are published in a new European Commission study.more...

Owen Paterson's departure from Government could see the end of the hated badger culls and a wider return to environmental sanity, writes Lesley Docksey. Given his disbelief in climate change and his arrogant disregard of science, it's not a moment too soon!more...

A family of wild of beavers has established on an English river for the first time since Henry VIII. But now the Government has decided to trap them and consign them to captivity in a zoo or wildlife centre. Defenders of wilderness are now demanding: keep our wild beavers free!more...

We can expect British summers to get drier as climate warms - but there is a catch. When it rains, it's more likely to come down in 'tropical downpours - causing devastating flash floods that overwhelm street drainage, streams and rivers.more...

Following last winter's severe flooding in SW England, the Government has refused to assess how badly badgers suffered - even though local populations could have crashed. If the cull goes ahead, badgers could be wiped out of some areas altogether.more...

Apocalyptic floods have hit the Balkans, causing many deaths and billions of dollars of damage. 350.org campaigner Rastko Šejić from Obrenovac, Serbia, wrote this personal account of the floods - and how they have at least served to re-unite divided communities.more...

flooding: 1/25 of 33

Cities all over Britain are threaded by 'lost rivers' that have been hidden away in tunnels and culverts. Jenny Jones argues that it's time to restore them to a more natural state - improving habitats for wildlife and people, and reducing flood risk.more...

Floods, giant waves and billions of pounds of destruction to the UK's homes, businesses and key national infrastructure could revolutionise climate politics, writes Jonathon Porritt. But no thanks to the increasingly pathetic BBC!more...

It's time for the Government to get serious about the flooding - and the climate change that is driving it, says Green Party Leader Natalie Bennett. Cameron should begin by dredging the muck out of his own Cabinet.more...

As fierce public debate rages over how to manage the Somerset Levels, a Task Force of farmers, wildlife groups, official Agencies and Councils has agreed a new 'Vision 2030' for the Levels - one the mainstream media have entirely missed ...more...

Somerset is experiencing its most significant flooding in decades. As the political right calls for ever more dredging, Karen Potter trawls Defra's archives ... and finds a shocking history of sound policy sacrificed to short term political expediency.more...

Reports of severe flooding around the UK, widely believed to be linked to climate change, pour in. But Owen Paterson, reports Sophie Morlin-Yron, has sharply cut the budget for coping with the effects of climate change.more...

The UN has described the Gaza Strip as a 'disaster area' following the onslaught of Storm Alexa and called on the international community to lift the blockade and allow recovery efforts to proceed.more...

By allowing emissions to to rise humans may have doubled the likelihood of further floods like those that struck the UK in 2000, say climate scientists in first attempt to prove link between man-made climate change and extreme weathermore...

Cost of pollution, deteriorating soil and other impacts surged to 1.3tr yuan in 2008 - equivalent to 3.9 per cent of country's GDP - as officials warn of threats to ecology, food safety and flood controlmore...